Page 22 of The Gilded Lady
“Only that you must be looking forward to getting home soon. This room leaves a little to be desired when it comes to the comforts of home.” She met his gaze again and he realized how little they knew of the other’s life.
“I don’t…” He cleared his throat, uncertain why the admission was so difficult. “I don’t have anywhere to get home to.”
“Oh?” Her expression was so stunned he felt the need to explain.
“I was working at the Reyes hacienda when it was burned down. When Cas decided on revenge, well, let’s just say I had my own reasons for wanting revenge too.” She glanced at his scar and he gave a curt nod, unwilling to go into the story. He didn’t see a reason to bring Christine’s name up between them. “We’ve been sleeping in boardinghouses and under the stars ever since.” Not counting the few brief times they’d sought refuge at the Jameson Ranch outside of Helena. He had his own room there,but it had never been his home. Hunter had mentioned him staying on there now that their hunt for Derringer was over, and Zane supposed it had been assumed that he would. Though he’d never made the conscious decision.
Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t entirely certain where his life would go from here. Before he’d landed at the hacienda, he’d been wandering from job to job. Before that he’d spent a childhood traveling with his father, a trader, from reservation to reservation. Sometimes he’d spend the summer with his mother’s people, but he wouldn’t go back to the reservation permanently. It didn’t feel like home.
“Then you must be looking forward to starting your life again.” She gave him a smile that was incredibly understanding, and he didn’t quite know what to do with it. The woman had every right to judge him. Here he was, a humble suitor with nothing to offer a woman like her who had every physical comfort she could want.
“I’m looking forward to not having Derringer at my back.”
She grinned at that. “Unfortunately, I know just what you mean.” She was teasing him. Her own shadow of menace still lurked and she could tease him with it.
The woman was amazing. They were far more similar than they were different. While he couldn’t offer her physical things, he could offer her protection. He could put a stop to that lingering danger hanging over her. “I’ll get rid of him, Glory. Tell me who he is and I’ll make certain that he never harms you.”
“I wouldn’t take my danger and make it yours.” Her smile fell, but she held his gaze. Her hazel eyes were wide and solemn.
“It’s not your choice. I’m staying until this is over.” He meant it. He couldn’t leave her until he knew that her past was well and truly in the past.
Shaking her head, she said, “This is only about the letter. I won’t have you in danger because of me.”
“I do what I want.” Maybe this was his new calling. He’d right the injustice done to her, whatever it had been.
The warmth of her palm pressing against his chest surprised him. He found himself wanting to lean into it, craving more of her touch.
“Please don’t, Zane. I want you to stay safe.”
Her touch didn’t surprise him nearly as much as the sound of his name coming from her lips. He immediately wanted to hear it again. He wanted her to whisper it in his ear as he pushed inside her. He clenched his fist against the urge to hold her against him. It wasn’t what she needed from him right now. “I know how to take care of myself.”
“Glory? You about ready for our meeting?” Able’s voice came from the open doorway.
She jerked away as if she’d been unaware of how closely they’d been standing. “I’m ready.” She smiled at Able.
Able gave him a surly look, but didn’t say anything more. Zane knew that they met every morning to go over plans for the day. Able then stayed with her until his duties called him to man the front door in the early evening.
She surprised Zane again when she turned back to him, this time holding out the key to her apartment. “Feel free to use my bathing chamber. It looks like the one down the hall is a little busy.”
He took it. The heat from her body had warmed the metal, so he savored that warmth in his palm. At least he’d earned her trust. “I’ll need to interview your staff again today, in case I missed something.”
“Between the two of us, we’ve covered them all,” Able said. Disapproval turned the corners of his mouth down.
“I plan to keep talking to them until we have something to go on.” He couldn’t accept that no one knew anything. Turning hisattention back to Glory, he added, “Especially Charlotte. I’d like to start with her.”
She nodded in resignation. “I’ll let her know to expect you.”
Chapter Ten
Not only had Zane spent the previous night thinking about Glory and the future they couldn’t have, he’d spent it going over all the information he had about the letter. He replayed every conversation he’d had with her staff the day before, looking for anything he’d missed and coming up with a plan for following up today. Because he wasn’t allowed to reveal the reason for his questions—that Glory had received a threatening letter—he’d felt the interrogations had been less than thorough. Despite how Glory felt about revealing that vital piece of information, Zane knew that it was necessary.
Today he needed to focus on Charlotte and what she knew about that letter.
The third floor wasn’t a main area where patrons were allowed, but there were enough women coming and going to their rooms at various times during the day that it would be unlikely someone would have the time to pick the lock without being seen. Of course it wasn’t impossible for a professional. By all accounts, no one had seen or heard anything coming fromher study during the window of time the letter had been left. Also, the study window looked out over the street, so no one could have come in through that way without being seen. Either the person who’d left it had been a clever thief with experience picking locks or Charlotte knew something about it. She was the only person with intimate knowledge of Glory’s activity. It was possible she’d somehow gained access to Glory’s study.
Locking the door to Glory’s suite after his quick bath, he stopped at the entrance to Charlotte’s office. He’d heard her arrive a few minutes ago and he paused to study the girl. She couldn’t be more than twenty with an almost skittish demeanor. She seemed harmless and loyal to Glory, but he’d learned early on to never underestimate anyone.
Rapping his knuckles against the open door to announce himself, he said, “Mind if I speak with you again?” They’d spoken briefly the day before, but he hadn’t had enough information then to ask the right questions.
